BOC’s haul: P1.6B of counterfeit clothes, footwear, rice

MANILA, Philippines – An inter-agency task force reported on Tuesday, February 11, having seized approximately P1.6 billion worth of imitations of branded apparel and toiletries at various Metro Manila warehouses in the last 4 days.

As a bonus, they discovered 1,000 sacks of illegally imported rice sandwiched in between some of the counterfeit items in a compound they raided this week.

Agents of the Bureau of Customs (BOC), the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), and the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) conducted a rain on Roligon compound in Tambo, Parañaque, on Tuesday and found more than P600 million worth of fake footwear, apparel, cosmetics, and toiletries in the 17 warehouses within the compound.

The fake goods included counterfeit sandals with brands like “Havianas” and “Ipanema,” and copies of “Nike,” “Addidas,” “Converse,” and “Skechers” sneakers and rubber shoes.

Imitation sports jackets from “Puma,” “Nike Team Pacquiao,” and “Honda,” and imitation versions of leading shampoo and personal care brands were also found.

Over the past 4 days, the BOC, NBI, and IPOPHL also raided 6 warehouse buildings in Binondo, Manila; Barangay 77 in Pasay City; and Tambo, Parañaque. These warehouses were also stocked with counterfeit clothes and footwear, as well as other items with a market value of over P620 million.

During the raid in Parañaque, agents uncovered around 1,000 sacks of illegally imported short-grain, premium rice. The sacks were hidden in between boxes and bales of counterfeit products picked up at a warehouse in Tambo, Parañaque last Monday.

The sacks, each containing 25 kilograms of rice, were discovered while the BOC was unloading the contents of three 40-foot container vans containing counterfeit apparel, footwear, cellphone accessories, food items, and sundries for inventory and evidence-tagging. 

The recent find brings to 2,000 the number of rice sacks seized from the same Rodigon warehouse this week. The

Follow-up investigations are underway to find out the warehouse owners and the consignees of the counterfeit items. The consignees and owners of the fake products face violations of Republic Act 8293, or the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines. They also face violations of the Tariff and Customs Code of the Philippines.

“These seizures highlight the need for more aggressive intelligence-gathering and inspection of shipments as well as systemic solutions that prevent the entry of these fake products in the local market,” said Customs Commissioner John Sevilla. – Rappler.com